ON THE ATOMIC-STRUCTURE OF FE MN PROMOTED SULFATED ZIRCONIA/

The aim of the present work is to shed some light on the surface atomi c structure of an Fe/Mn-promoted sulfated zirconia catalyst using high -resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging. The pres ence of Fe and Mn species, which were found to be dispersed at a molec ular level, were apparent on the {001} and {110} surfaces of zirconia particles. A combination of the present results with additional detail ed studies using other physicochemical characterization techniques is needed to elucidate the atomic configuration of the active sites respo nsible for the enhanced catalytic activity of the Fe/Mn-promoted sulfa ted zirconia catalyst.